ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces have detained at least 923 Afghan nationals in Rawalpindi as part of an ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrants, according to Pakistani media reports.
The arrests follow the launch of a nationwide deportation campaign targeting Afghans without valid legal status. Of those detained in Rawalpindi, 213 have already been deported to Afghanistan, the report said.
The remaining detainees are being held at a migrant holding center near the Gulra Mor area on the outskirts of the city. Dawn also reported that 22 detainees escaped from the facility on Wednesday, though further details about the escape have not been released.
According to officials, those detained include 86 individuals with expired visas, 116 holding Afghan Citizen Cards, and 290 with Proof of Registration (PoR) documents issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Pakistan has set a deadline of March 31 for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave voluntarily. However, Afghans holding valid PoR cards issued by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will not face deportation until June 30, officials said.
“We have made it clear that holders of Afghan Citizen Cards will be deported from Rawalpindi and Islamabad before the deadline,” a senior police official told Dawn.
Police have implemented a dedicated security plan for the Gulra Mor facility, deploying at least 40 officers under the supervision of a senior police official to maintain order.
Authorities have said the repatriation of undocumented Afghans will take place in phases.
The crackdown has sparked concern among rights groups, who warn that mass deportations could put thousands of Afghans — including women and children — at risk, particularly those who fled Taliban rule after August 2021.
